Steering wheel control device

ABSTRACT

The device, as applied to a conventional automobile steering wheel, essentially comprises a rigid upper molded plastic mounting plate member of generally segmental outline at a portion thereof which is contoured in section to nest over a corresponding segmental portion of the wheel facing the driver; a lower, opposite side plastic member mated to the upper at generally circular portions of said members, which portions are fixedly screw-secured together; and a hand grip member of the same plastic material which is cross sectioned to afford a circular, radially outward guide rib. This rib fits for rotative running action in a circular, radially internal guide groove defined between annular shoulders of the respective mated upper and lower members. The hand grip member provides a diametral cross bar to be grasped by the driver; and the assembly of members and grip has means to rigidly apply it to the steering wheel, in the form of a pair of like, arcuately spaced and semicircular clamp straps applied in encircling relation to the wheel cross section and tightly screw-connected to the upper mounting plate member. Plate, grip and strap components of the device are of a glass-filled nylon plastic composition requiring no lubrication for a free running action of its hand grip in the guide way afforded by the two plate members.

United States Patent [1 1 Rose [451 Dec. 4, 1973 STEERING WHEEL CONTROLDEVICE [75] Inventor: Jack B. Rose, Southfield, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Rowin, Incorporated, Warren, Mich.

[22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 277,479

2,166,296 7/1939 l-loover.... 74/557 2,168,961 8/1939 Ragan 74/5572,172,121 9/1939 Buchanan 74/557 2,305,527 12/1942 Hassett 74/5572,317,307 4/1943 Snow 74/557 Primary ExaminerCharles J. Myhre AssistantExaminer-F. D. Shoemaker Attorney-Franklin E. Quale [57] ABSTRACT Thedevice, as applied to a conventional automobile steering wheel,essentially comprises a rigid upper molded plastic mounting plate memberof generally segmental outline at a portion thereof which is contouredin section to nest over a corresponding segmental portion of the wheelfacing the driver; a lower, opposite side plastic member mated to theupper at generally circular portions of said members, which portions arefixedly screw-secured together; and a hand grip member of the sameplastic material which is cross sectioned to afford a circular, radiallyoutward guide rib. This rib fits for rotative running action in acircular, radially internal guide groove defined between annularshoulders of the respective mated upper and lower members. The hand gripmember provides a diametral cross bar to be grasped by the driver; andthe assembly of members and grip has means to rigidly apply it to thesteering wheel, in the form of a pair of like, arcuately spaced andsemicircular clamp straps applied in encircling relation to the wheelcross section and tightly screw-connected to the upper mounting platemember. Plate, grip and strap components of the device are of aglass-filled mylon plastic composition requiring no lubrication for afree running action of its hand grip in the guide way afforded by thetwo plate members.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PMENTED DEC 4 I975 FIG.3

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1928. This relates in only the mostgeneralway to the subject matter of the invention, and has defects notpresent in the subject controldevice. For one example, the applicationof the Heckman' wheel device requires a major mutilation of thesteeringwheel of which it is an intended adjunct.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present wheel control device, asinexpensively constituted by only three major molded plastic components,plus simple clamp means as referred to in the Abstract, leiids itself tomass production at low cost using relatively simple and long-livedproduction molds. Its design in cross section is such that a singlesize, due to the arcuate curvature and transverse cross section of itsupper or front mounting plate member will matingly accommodate a largenumber of steering wheel sizes on automobiles produced by the four majordomestic and many foreign automotive manufacturers.

In accordance with one feature of the improvement of the device, theclamp elements which mount its upper plate to the wheel are eachcontoured in section to provide an internal nodular formation whichmates into one of the usual scalloped grip formations on the steeringwheel, thus positively preventingany degreeof rotative shift of thedevice in relation to the periphery of the wheel. As indicated in theAbstract, the device is in effect self-lubricating to afford a very freerunning action of its hand grip within a transversely confined-by theupper and lower plate components.

As necessarily contoured in large portion of generally circular outline,the guide way-affording plate members themselveshave a partially nested,external relation to one another, over and above their axially nested,mating interfit, as at an arcuate segmental top portion of the lower orrear member generally keyed with a corresponding arced, rearwardlyprojecting locating rib formation on the upper front plate member. Inaddition to these coacting molded contours, one of the plate memberscarries integral locating studs mating frictionally in correspondinglyspaced recesses in the other plate member. Thus, those members, with theassistance of their locking screw means, are very strongly located andanchored against shift relative to one another, both transverse-wise andin the plane of action of the hand grip which they rotatively guide.

In use, the control device greatly increases the maneuverability of awheel, whether by ladies, by persons of other than normal stature,by-drivers of semis and other types of truck in normally difficultparking; or other operations, and the like; A complete 360 wheel turnmay be made with one hand without twisting of the wrist or straining,and awkward hand-over-hand movements are of course unnecessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic view indicatingthe manner of intended manipulation of the improved device as applied toan automobile steering wheel;

FIG. 2 is a partially broken front elevational view in approximatelyone-half scaleshowing the-device per se;

FIG. 3- is a view in rear or bottom elevation, being also partiallybroken away and sectioned on a line corresponding to line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4is an approximately full scale sectional view showingassembledupper plate, lower plate and hand grip components of the device per se,being in vertical transverse cross section on a line corresponding toline 4'-4'-of FIG. 2;

FIG-5 isa fragmentary viewin similar transverse section along a linecorresponding'to' line 5-5 of FIG. 2, illustrating the device asoperatively strap-clamped to a steering wheel, indicated indot-dashline; and- FIG. 6'is a fragmentary view in section on line 6'-6 of FIG.2, showing a detail of the screw assembly of plate and: hand gripmembers.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 of the drawings shows thesteering control'device'of the invention, generally designated by thereference numeral 10, as operatively appliedto atypical automobilesteering wheel Wand manipulated in the intended fashion. The locationwill preferably be at an angular position somewhat tothe left, orcounterclockwise, of a vertical plane including the wheel axis, but anyother angular relationship which suits the convenienceand comfort of thedriver is of course possible.

As better illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, device 10essentially comprises a front or upper plate member 12 and a co-actingrear or lower member 14, these being molded: in a generally flat orplanar shape to afford like arcuatebase portions, respectivelydesignated 15, l6',which meet (FIG. 4) in a plane represented byfront-to-rear abutting annular faces l7, 18 thereof, said plane beingmidway ofthe major front torear dimension of the device 10. Four equallyspaced self-threading screws 20', assisted by" locating studs or pins 21molded as integral-projectionson the annular base portion 16, locate andhold the front and rear mounting plate members 12, 14 in fixed-relationto one another. As appears-in FIG. 6, the screws 20-are received incountersunk recesses of front member 12, engaging in a self-tapping wayin aligned openings in rear member 14, with the screw heads flush withthe forward surface of member 12 for an attractive appearance; and thestuds 21 (FIG. 4) have a tight frictional fit in correspondingly spacedrecesses in the meeting surface 18 of plate member 12;

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front or top mounting plate member12 presents a circular opening.

22 defined by an annular circular and radiallyinwardly' extendingshoulder flange formation 23 of said memher; and the co-acting rearmember 14' presents a coaxial opening of the same diameter, defined by aradially inwardly extending circular shoulder formation 24 of member 14.Thus the aligned shoulders'23, 24, asaxially spaced from one another oneither side bf the meeting plane at surfaces 17, 18in theassembledcondition of the device 10, afford a circular groove or way 25which slidably guides withreasonable running tolerance a circular handgrip piece 26. The latter includes a radially outwardly projecting guidetongue or rib por tion 27 received and running rotatively betweenshoulders 23, 24, and laterally projecting axial flange portions 28which transversely and radially underlie the circular surfaces of thecoaxial openings in the respective front and rear mounting plate members12, 14, as shown in FIG. 4. i

In a transverse zone, centered at the central transverse plane 44 ofthat figure, the front mounting member is molded to provide an integral,radial outwardly extending segmental flange extension 29 of substantialarea, the general external outline of which is that of a quadrant ofconsiderably larger radius than that of the circular grip guideformations 15, 16 of the respective plate members 12, 14; and segment 29may be ribbed, as at 30 (FIG. 2) for an ornamental and/or rigidifyingeffect. More importantly, the segment extension 29 is molded to affordan arcuate mounting seat or saddle 32 of somewhat less than semicircular outline in section, as appears in FIGS. 4 and 5. This seat iscoextensive arcuately with the flange member 29 and of arcuate contourand depth such that it will accommodate wheels of varying diameter as totheir own overall size and section. That is, the arcuate length,curvature and sectioning of seat 32 are such that, regardless of somevariation in its own and the wheel s diameter, both overall or in itscross section, the wheel W will take wedging engagement in the saddle orseat 32 at more than one point, as clamped therein by means to bedescribed.

Inwardly of the seat 32, the front mounting plate member 12 is molded,as appears in FIGS. 3 and 4, to provide a rearwardly projecting,segmentally arcuate locating rib or ledge 34 of a diameter to parallelits seat 32, and of an arcuate length only slightly less than thediameter of the plate opening 22. This ledge is, at its arcuate centerpoint in the plane 44 of FIG. 2, spaced but slightly outwardly of guideway 25 in which the rib 27 of hand grip 26 runs rotatively, but is ofcourse more widely spaced from opening 22 as the ledge 34 angularlydiverges in opposite directions, as appears in FIG. 3. The ledge affordsa further, radially outward surface at 35 (FIG. 3) in relation to whichthe steering wheel may bindingly engage as clamped behind mounting platemember 12. Ledge 34 also serves as a locator enabling a rough properangular positioning of lower plate member 14 in relation to upper platemember 12 I prior to the final assembly of the parts.

A pair of specially contoured clamping straps or stirrups 36 clarnpinglyengage plate 12 and wheel W to hold the device as a whole in itsoperative assembly to the wheel. For coaction with these straps, thesegment extension 29 of plate 12 is formed with a pair of integralspaced projecting ears 37 each having an elongated slot 37'. Eachclamping strap 36 (FIG. 5) is further provided with thickened radiallyinner and outer bosses 38, 39, respectively, which will have rearwardabutting engagement with curresponding surface portions 40, 41 ofsegment formation 29, the bosses 38, 39

as appear in FIG. 5, being ofiset in planes paralleling the meetingplane of the plate members 12, 14 at their abutting surfaces 17, 18(FIG. 4). Strap clamping screw and nut sets 42, 43 engage throughcorresponding opposite end openings in the strap bosses 38, 39 and inthe plate ear slots 37 the radially outermost of these sets preferablyemploying acorn nuts which are received in-counterbores of the outerstrap bosses 39, thus to avoid snagging of the driver's sleeve. Aconsiderable degree of latitude of adjustment of the device 10 relativetowheel W is made possible due to the elongated nature of the slots 37'.

Finally, as an additional safety factor, each of the stirrup straps 36is preferably formed, as shown in FIG. 5, with an integral projectingrounded node 44, which will nest or mate into one or another of theusual undula tory valleys commonly formed on the wheel for a betterdriver grip. Formation 44 performs the same function, but a bitdifferently in behalf of the device 10, Le, in positively locking itagainst sliding displacement relative to the wheel in any one of manydifferent possible positions on the latter.

What is claimed is:

1. A control device applicable to a manipulating wheel withoutalteration of the latter, comprising a pair of rigid front and rear,matingly engaged mounting plate members, each formed in cross section toprovide therebetween a circular guide way, a hand grip rotatable in saidway and restrained between said plate members against transverse shiftrelative to said way, and means fixedly mounting said plate members insaid mated engagement with one another to said wheel, said meansincluding an arcuate portion of substantial circumferential extentformed integral with the rigid front plate member and disposed radiallyoutwardly of said guide way, said portion being of an arcuate crosstrans verse section to mate substantially fully over and about the frontcross-sectional contour of said wheel in the plane of the latter, a pairof rigid clamp straps of relatively small circumferential extent shapedto mate substantially fully under and about the rear cross-sectionalcontour of the wheel in said plane of the latter, and screw meansspanning opposite radial sides of the full wheel cross-sectional contourand releasably connecting said front and rear members to the wheel atsaid arcuate portion of the former member and at said straps.

2. The control device of claim 1, in which said clamp straps each havean internal specially shaped formation facing a surface of the wheel andhaving nested engagement with an external scallop formation on the saidwheel surface.

3. The control device of claim 1, in which said plate member and saidgrip are molded of a glass-filled plastic composition for aself-lubricating rotative running action of the latter in said circularguide way.

4. The control device of claim 2, in which said plate members and saidgrip are molded of a glass-filled plastic composition for aself-lubricating rotative running action of the latter in said circularguide way.

1. A control device applicable to a manipulating wheel withoutalteration of the latter, comprising a pair of rigid front and rear,matingly engaged mounting plate members, each formed in cross section toprovide therebetween a circular guide way, a hand grip rotatable in saidway and restrained between said plate members against transverse shiftrelative to said way, and means fixedly mounting said plate members insaid mated engagement with one another to said wheel, said meansincluding an arcuate portion of substantial circumferential extentformed integral with the rigid front plate member and disposed radiallyoutwardly of said guide way, said portion being of an arcuate crosstransverse section to mate substantially fully over and about the frontcross-sectional contour of said wheel in the plane of the latter, a pairof rigid clamp straps of relatively small circumferential extent shapedto mate substantially fully under and about the rear cross-sectionalcontour of the wheel in said plane of the latter, and screw meansspanning opposite radial sides of the full wheel cross-sectional contourand releasably connecting said front and rear members to the wheel atsaid arcuate portion of the former member and at said straps.
 2. Thecontrol device of claim 1, in which said clamp straps each have aninternal specially shaped formation facing a surface of the wheel andhaving nested engagement with an external scallop formation on the saidwheel surface.
 3. The control device of claim 1, in which said platemember and said grip are molded of a glass-filled plastic compositionfor a self-lubricating rotative running action of the latter in saidcircular guide way.
 4. The control device of claim 2, in which saidplate members and said grip are molded of a glass-filled plasticcomposition for a self-lubricating rotative running action of the latterin said circular guide way.